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‘You Can’t Force A Woman Against Her Will’- with reference to ‘House of Flying Daggers’ (2004 d. Zhang Yimou), have women become the protagonists in action/adventure movies OR are they still perceived as inferior to men?
The text which I will be using to answer the above question is the ‘House of Flying Daggers.’ The text is centered on a Chinese action genre however there are also elements of romantic love story forming. The film is distributed by Sony Picture Classics, and therefore this helps to promote the film as worth watching. Women in the film are perceived differently to what audiences are normally used to viewing, which further makes ht film a hit. It seems as though women are the ones which drive the narrative forwards, as they provide voyeuristic pleasures for the supposed ‘male spectator’, however they are also involved in any action based roles. Our first meeting with the main female protagonist, Mei, is in a brothel house. This seems typical of a Asian woman of that time as males were the main rulers and exploiters, and also had the opportunity of obtaining job roles such as officers. However, as the plot commences, our interpretations of the women and male roles are proven to be false, as in fact women are the ones of a higher status and regulate for coming events. [G, R, A, N, Id, In]
Relating texts
As my essay is focusing on the significant transition of women’s roles in action films, there will be various things which I will be analysing in depth. For instance, when considering films such as Enter the Dragon, where we have Bruce Lee as the main protagonists, the audience will realise that there are women present in this film however their roles are that of slaves and worshippers. This signifies male dominance and the patriarchy that existed in the 1970’s, not only in China but globally. [P, R, A,]
We see a resemblance to this in the ‘House of Flying Daggers’, where the first time we see women is inside a brothel. They are under the control of men, and also seductively dance to be rewarded by applause. Their looks and posture are the main focus, and the male are the on-lookers of this sunning beauty. This applies to Laura Mulvey’s theory where she clearly states that males are the assumed spectators and therefore women are encouraged to have qualities of being looked-at-ness, whereas the main protagonists will be male in order to allow the ‘male audience’ to identify with them. [R, A]
Furthermore, Kill Bill is one of the major Hollywood blockbusters to hit screen which depicts women in a much stronger and ‘masculine’ manner. Here we have Uma Thurman; arguably objectified in her leather skin tight outfit as appealing to the male gaze, however her lack of make-up and concern for her looks allows both female and male audience to appreciate and admire her more so for her fighting ability. Additionally, she handles a sword, which in some aspects may be seen a phallic object, on the other hand, this portrays her control over events and also over men; she is liberated and independent. [R, A, M]
Similarly in the ‘House of Flying Daggers,’ Mei’s (Zhang Ziyi) beauty seems to be the topic of discussion in the mind of audiences, however this portrayal of her is soon altered as in the latter part of the movie she must wear male clothing, which makes her look unattractive. This drifts from the theory of the ‘Male Gaze’ as she does not have qualities of being-looked-at-ness as she also reveals her battling skills, and her dying concern for her physical appearance. Nonetheless it still seems she is out to pursue her male partner, Jin. [A, R, M, N]
‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ also stars Zhang Ziyi. Her character also involves her being in combat scenes; and her role helps to drive the narrative forward. She is a princess who turns into a warrior and also a very significant charter to the whole plot.
Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp
The villain (struggles against the hero) - Leo
The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object)-
The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest)- Mei
The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative)- Mei
The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off)-Leo
The hero or victim/ seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the princess-Jin
False hero/anti-hero/usurper — (takes credit for the hero’s actions/ tries to marry the princess)- Leo
This theory can also be applied to my text as you can see above, many of the characters fit into Propps character types, (some fall in more than one).
Tang Dynasty
As the House of Flying Daggers is centered around the period when the Tang Dynasty was in power, it is good to aknowledge the lack of control and significance that women had.
DURING China's feudal epoch, society was male-centered. There was consequently a pervasive belief in man's superiority over woman that continued as the ruling ideology throughout feudal society. Women were thus regarded as little more than bond servants in feudal China.At this time, male dominance was guaranteed and maintained by certain norms. The three cardinal guides (ruler guides subject, father guides son, and husband guides wife) and the five constant virtues (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and sincerity) defined social behavior, and the three obediences (in ancient China a woman was required to obey her father before marriage, her husband during marriage, and her sons in widowhood) and four virtues (women's fidelity, physical charm, propriety in speech and proficiency at needle work) guided the family order.
This outline of a women's position allows one to understand why the character of Mei astonishes and alarms Jin when he see's that she disobey's the norms and ideologies of the time, with her fighting skills and her stubborness towards the government officials. With this this breif history audeinces can also understand why the 'House of Flying Daggers' (domainted by a woman figure) was fabricated.
http://www.chinavoc.com/history/tang/women.htm
The text which I will be using to answer the above question is the ‘House of Flying Daggers.’ The text is centered on a Chinese action genre however there are also elements of romantic love story forming. The film is distributed by Sony Picture Classics, and therefore this helps to promote the film as worth watching. Women in the film are perceived differently to what audiences are normally used to viewing, which further makes ht film a hit. It seems as though women are the ones which drive the narrative forwards, as they provide voyeuristic pleasures for the supposed ‘male spectator’, however they are also involved in any action based roles. Our first meeting with the main female protagonist, Mei, is in a brothel house. This seems typical of a Asian woman of that time as males were the main rulers and exploiters, and also had the opportunity of obtaining job roles such as officers. However, as the plot commences, our interpretations of the women and male roles are proven to be false, as in fact women are the ones of a higher status and regulate for coming events. [G, R, A, N, Id, In]
Relating texts
As my essay is focusing on the significant transition of women’s roles in action films, there will be various things which I will be analysing in depth. For instance, when considering films such as Enter the Dragon, where we have Bruce Lee as the main protagonists, the audience will realise that there are women present in this film however their roles are that of slaves and worshippers. This signifies male dominance and the patriarchy that existed in the 1970’s, not only in China but globally. [P, R, A,]
We see a resemblance to this in the ‘House of Flying Daggers’, where the first time we see women is inside a brothel. They are under the control of men, and also seductively dance to be rewarded by applause. Their looks and posture are the main focus, and the male are the on-lookers of this sunning beauty. This applies to Laura Mulvey’s theory where she clearly states that males are the assumed spectators and therefore women are encouraged to have qualities of being looked-at-ness, whereas the main protagonists will be male in order to allow the ‘male audience’ to identify with them. [R, A]
Furthermore, Kill Bill is one of the major Hollywood blockbusters to hit screen which depicts women in a much stronger and ‘masculine’ manner. Here we have Uma Thurman; arguably objectified in her leather skin tight outfit as appealing to the male gaze, however her lack of make-up and concern for her looks allows both female and male audience to appreciate and admire her more so for her fighting ability. Additionally, she handles a sword, which in some aspects may be seen a phallic object, on the other hand, this portrays her control over events and also over men; she is liberated and independent. [R, A, M]
Similarly in the ‘House of Flying Daggers,’ Mei’s (Zhang Ziyi) beauty seems to be the topic of discussion in the mind of audiences, however this portrayal of her is soon altered as in the latter part of the movie she must wear male clothing, which makes her look unattractive. This drifts from the theory of the ‘Male Gaze’ as she does not have qualities of being-looked-at-ness as she also reveals her battling skills, and her dying concern for her physical appearance. Nonetheless it still seems she is out to pursue her male partner, Jin. [A, R, M, N]
‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ also stars Zhang Ziyi. Her character also involves her being in combat scenes; and her role helps to drive the narrative forward. She is a princess who turns into a warrior and also a very significant charter to the whole plot.
Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp
The villain (struggles against the hero) - Leo
The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object)-
The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest)- Mei
The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative)- Mei
The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off)-Leo
The hero or victim/ seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the princess-Jin
False hero/anti-hero/usurper — (takes credit for the hero’s actions/ tries to marry the princess)- Leo
This theory can also be applied to my text as you can see above, many of the characters fit into Propps character types, (some fall in more than one).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propp
Laura Mulvey
'Mulvey argued that the only way to annihilate that "patriarchal" Hollywood system was to radically challenge and re-shape the filmic strategies of classical Hollywood with alternative feminist methods.'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_MulveyTang Dynasty
As the House of Flying Daggers is centered around the period when the Tang Dynasty was in power, it is good to aknowledge the lack of control and significance that women had.
DURING China's feudal epoch, society was male-centered. There was consequently a pervasive belief in man's superiority over woman that continued as the ruling ideology throughout feudal society. Women were thus regarded as little more than bond servants in feudal China.At this time, male dominance was guaranteed and maintained by certain norms. The three cardinal guides (ruler guides subject, father guides son, and husband guides wife) and the five constant virtues (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and sincerity) defined social behavior, and the three obediences (in ancient China a woman was required to obey her father before marriage, her husband during marriage, and her sons in widowhood) and four virtues (women's fidelity, physical charm, propriety in speech and proficiency at needle work) guided the family order.
This outline of a women's position allows one to understand why the character of Mei astonishes and alarms Jin when he see's that she disobey's the norms and ideologies of the time, with her fighting skills and her stubborness towards the government officials. With this this breif history audeinces can also understand why the 'House of Flying Daggers' (domainted by a woman figure) was fabricated.
http://www.chinavoc.com/history/tang/women.htm
posted by Dinni at 10:00 AM
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